Our Research
Reporting a band:
If you find a band or have a picture of a banded bird you would like to report, please go to the Bird Banding Laboratory's (BBL) website to report the band: reportband.gov​.​ More information here -> How to Report a Banded Bird
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Wondering why we band birds? Read more info here.
Disclaimer: All banding and methods are being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey's BBL. Banding also requires state permits in addition to the appropriate property permissions. We are trained licensed banders and have many years of experience to ensure the bird's safety comes first with our methods described. We stay up to date to follow the latest ornithological guidance by other established entities to uphold best practices and ethics to ensure bird safety comes first while accomplishing our goals for research, conservation, and outreach (See Ornithological Council and North American Bird Banding Council).
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Migratory Bird Studies
We study a wide array of migratory birds through different banding studies throughout the year focusing on filling the current knowledge gaps of migratory species' full annual cycle using banding, technology, and the latest research methods. We achieve this mission by forming collaborations to answer specific questions. Central to this work, we are a part of the MOTUS collaborative network in Coastal Alabama.
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​​More information here -> Migratory Bird Studies
In 2023, in collaboration with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, we were able to add Coastal Alabama to the Motus map!
Example of a "backpack" geolocator device which allows us to track migration routes, critical for species conservation.
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Project HUMMER
Project HUMMER is an acronym that stand for Hummingbirds: Understanding Migratory Movements, Ecology and Range. This project incorporates all of our hummingbird research from wintering western species along the Gulf Coast to deploying cutting-edge transmitters to track hummingbird movements.
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More information here -> Project HUMMER
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Southeastern Purple Martin Project
This project is focused on:
Discovering the breeding productivity of specific colonies in AL, GA, and FL.
Monitoring colonies for disease, birth defects, and mass die offs.
Discovering the migration routes used by each colony and comparing the paths taken between colonies.
Collecting blood, feather and fecal samples for DNA, toxicology, and microbiome analysis. More information here -> Southeastern Purple Martin Project.
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Southeastern American Kestrel Project
This project is lead by our Raptor Research Coordinator John Taylor. The focus of this project is to determine migratory and winter ground movements of American Kestrels in AL and GA. Current efforts include color banding and monitoring of winter populations. This is a species of high conservation concern. We are working with the Bird Genoscape Project to contribute DNA samples to help close the knowledge gap of the wintering zone we monitor. BCA is currently looking for funding to deploy GPS transmitters on individuals to get year round realtime data from individuals tagged on their wintering grounds.
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